Lack Of Representation And Fame Among Black Chefs

Factors Driving the Problem
The lack of representation and fame among black chefs did not always exist, although this past recognition came at a time when black chefs were viewed more as property than as individuals. For example, the enslaved chef of George and Martha Washington, “Hercules, a member of the Mount Vernon enslaved community, became widely admired for his culinary skills. Washington appreciated Hercules’ skills in the kitchen so much that he brought him to Philadelphia to live and work in the presidential household” ("Hercules," n.d., para. 1). Early enslaved chefs were trained in English and French cuisine, as this was what their enslavers were familiar with and desired. Another example, James Hemings, the enslaved chef of Thomas Jefferson. Hemings traveled to France with Jefferson, where he learned French
5). These Eurocentric tendencies in the past are one reason African-Americans chefs today experience diminished roles and recognition within the American Southern food traditions. “Unfortunately soul food has become shorthand for all African-American cooking,” and often African-Americans are linked solely with soul food. Being typecast to one genre of food has reduced the opportunities for some black chefs who aspire to climb the ranks within other cuisines. In an article for the Huffington Post, Nancy Reed interviewed Karl Adams, an African-American sous chef, who discussed the difficulty of securing positions in upscale restaurants because so many employers dismissed his skills. For example, according to Reed’s report, a potential employer once reduced Adams’ extensive seafood restaurant experience to preparing catfish ("Black Chefs Dig Into Lack Of Diversity," 2013). Being typecasted has killed opportunities for some black chefs that aspire to climb the ranks of the culinary world and denied many of fame. The increased illustriousness of a black chef when trained outside of the American culinary system is vibrantly